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| Hilo, Hawaii News, Sports, & Information |
Thursday, September 2, 2010 |
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Back to Hawaii News index
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Posted: Monday, February 8th, 2010 4:38 AM HST
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Marines to help birds with drive through Oahu mud
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HONOLULU (AP) — Marines at Kaneohe Bay are due to help endangered native birds this week by driving amphibious assault vehicles through the mud.
The annual exercises at the Nuupia Ponds Wildlife Management Area at Marine Corps Base Hawaii are called "Mud Ops."
The vehicles break up weeds on mudflats, improving foraging and ground-nesting opportunities for endangered Hawaiian Stilts who live there.
Without these efforts, the invasive pickle weed would crowd the birds out of their natural habitat.
The number of Hawaiian stilts using the ponds has grown to 160 from 60 since the Marines began Mud Ops 28 years ago.
Other native and migratory waterbirds have also started using the Windward Oahu ponds more.
The three-day exercises start Monday.
(Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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